The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines – A former lawmaker and Environment and Natural Resources secretary on Sunday blasted the timing of the filing of a plunder complaint against him, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and two others, saying “it was completely baseless and appears to be built on assumptions and speculation.” But Michael "Mike" Defensor, Anakalusugan party-list congressman, told The Manila Times through Viber that he and the other respondents would be ready to answer every allegation at the proper forum and “we are prepared to fully defend ourselves.” “I have faith in our institutions and in the rule of law. I trust that when facts—not politics, assumptions, or publicity—are examined, the truth will prevail,” said Defensor, a former Malacanang chief of staff under the administration of then president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “I have faced many battles in public life before. We will face this one head-on, and we will let the evidence speak,” he said. The nephew of late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago reiterated that he never committed wrongdoing. “There was no illegal act, no corrupt transaction, no favor sought, and absolutely no conspiracy to commit any crime,” he said. The mere act of giving or receiving funds does not automatically constitute plunder, bribery, or corruption. The law requires facts and evidence—not insinuations, said Defensor, also a former Quezon City councilor before he became a member of the House of Representatives representing the city’s District 3. “What is disturbing is the reckless effort to elevate ordinary and lawful acts into serious criminal accusations without showing any clear connection to a government contract, official act, undue benefit, or quid pro quo. Serious charges like plunder should never be used for headlines or harassment,” he pointed out. He was made to believe that there was an ill motive behind dragging his name into the matter. “The timing and manner by which this has surfaced naturally raise questions. But regardless of motive, we will confront this directly and through the proper legal process,” according to Defensor, who recently made news when he introduced to Marcoleta an ex-Marine sergeant – Orly Guteza – who became a surprise whistleblower at the height of the Senate inquiry on flood control project scandal. In an order dated May 21, 2026, the Office of the Ombudsman gave the respondents 15 days from receipt of its order to submit their counter-affidavits. In the complaint, filed last May 18, the investigators said Marcoleta’s acceptance of gifts worth a total of P75 million on three separate occasions when he was a member of the House constituted the crime of plunder. The investigators said that Marcoleta, on Jan. 6, 2025, received P30 million from Defensor, which, they said, was “evidenced by a donor’s tax return and a... deposit slip showing that Defensor paid the donor’s tax on” Dec. 17, 2025.
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